Kerala's voters are sophisticated, educated, and unforgiving. They have once again made it clear that no government is entitled to remain in power. The Congress would do well to remember this, points out Ramesh Menon.
The Vanniyar vote can tip the balance in 70 to 75 assembly constituencies of the 234 in the state, mainly in the Ranipet, Vellore, Thiruppathur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Arani, Villupuram and Kallakurichi districts.
Whether he comes to power or not, both his admirers and opponents agree on one thing -- Vijay may well turn out to be the 'X factor'.
Rajya Sabha elections in Bihar, Odisha, and Haryana were marred by allegations of cross-voting and 'horse trading', leading to suspensions and warnings from the Congress party.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has released its manifesto for the West Bengal elections, focusing on welfare politics and women's empowerment with pledges to expand existing schemes, improve healthcare, and develop infrastructure.
'It interferes in administrative matters of institutions, robbing them of their independence in day-to-day affairs and appointments.'
'Mark had such a profound understanding of India, which was, of course, the land of his birth as well as of his death... He loved India, and lived two-thirds of his life here.'
With TDP and YSRCP trying to score political points, the sacred laddu may well create a storm in days to come.
The Lok Sabha is set to debate a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, a rare event where he will be seated among members as the House considers allegations of partisan conduct.
'In any aviation emergency, the first rule is aviate -- fly the aircraft.' 'The fact that the commander's voice is not on the recording simply means he was focused entirely on flying. It does not imply anything more than that.'
Both Mr Modi and Amit Shah like Nabin because they know he will never answer back, points out Aditi Phadnis.
'For the first time in a hundred years, the army has been taken out of the political equation. And for the first time ever, there is only one man who calls the shots. Not even Mao had this kind of power.'
The Learjet 45 (LJ45), a mid-size business jet aircraft produced by the Learjet Division of Bombardier Aerospace, went off the runway while attempting to land at Baramati airport and burst into flames.
While it is evident that the INDIA bloc has not shut its doors on Nitish Kumar, those within the NDA are hopeful that the JD-U's support base would benefit them as well
The debate over working hours flared up after Infosys Co-founder N R Narayana Murthy called for 14-hour workdays.
Amid the political push and pull, the Centre's decision to allow sugar exports and remove the 50 per cent duty on molasses exports has rekindled hope in the industry that more relief may follow.
The change in the government's engagement with the economy's need for reforms is more nuanced than how analysts have so far perceived it, points out A K Bhattacharya.
'When the BJP wanted the election to focus on 'ghuspathiya' and promises that look like pies in the sky, we forced them to talk about jobs, giving free 125 units of power, and addressing women's indebtedness.'
Both NDA and INDIA are racing to woo marginalised groups with Assembly polls fast approaching.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor says US tariffs are negatively impacting India, leading to job losses, and criticizes President Trump's diplomatic behavior.
If he cannot do it this term by using his bureaucracy and experts from different fields, it will be a tragedy, asserts Ramesh Menon.
'When maximum voter participation occurs, they do not vote to re-elect the incumbent government. They vote to change it.' 'How can anyone credibly suggest that crores of young voters -- particularly the unemployed youth -- would vote to re-elect an existing government that has demonstrably failed them?'
'Every parent should rethink their decisions to send their children to the US.'
As an IAS officer in Kerala, Gyanesh Kumar -- who the Congress described as Amit Shah's 'right hand man' -- had a good working equation with the state's Congress and Left leaders.
'Karur could still impact Jana Nayagan's box-office success if Vijay and the TVK do not get their act together,' points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
'It is good for us if the JMM contests. That will divide the Opposition and give us the upper hand.'
The Congress is contesting 328 seats in the ongoing elections -- the lowest since Independence.
'India's farmers will be unable to compete with the US, given the subsidies that the latter provides its farmers.'
With more than 1.2 million Indians stuck in green card backlogs, investor-driven EB-5 programme sees rising interest as a secure route for migration to the US.
'The concept of an MP IPL team is the brainchild of Kamal Nath.' 'If the Congress government comes to power in the state, he will assemble an IPL team for MP with the assistance of his business contacts.'
'Amaravati will be a game changer for Andhra Pradesh.'
Many states are realising that hosting mega events puts the spotlight on them and raises their profile.
Priyanka's victory seems assured, but the broader implications for Kerala's political landscape and South Indian politics remain to be seen.
As the triangular political contest in Telangana intensifies, many believe that for the regional major BRS, it is a battle for survival after being routed in the assembly polls held late last year. What is haunting the party this time is the scams, the 10-year anti-incumbency factor, and family dominance in the party.
Tamannaah Bhatia bagged an endorsement for Mysore Sandal Soap but not everyone's happy about it.
The current situation in Kerala politics is perhaps best described as a case of the state's traditional two front politics now seeing a third front (the BJP) muscling in with the potential outcome being either a messy three front affair or a renewed endorsement of the two front pattern but with one of the old fronts compromised or quashed, observes Shyam G Menon.
I'...additional concessions, such as opening government procurement, reducing agricultural subsidies, weakening patent protections, and allowing unrestricted data flows -- demands India has resisted for decades.'
'Maharashtrians are facing a dual battle -- numerical battle with North Indians and financial battle with Gujaratis and Marwaris.' 'This has created anxiety about survival and ownership over Mumbai and Maharashtra.'
'As negotiations continue, the path forward demands not only diplomatic skill, but also vigilance against legal asymmetries embedded in America's trade playbook.'
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in India's Lok Sabha, has accused the Speaker, Om Birla, of running the House in a "non-democratic style" and preventing him from speaking. Gandhi claims that he was not allowed to speak on various issues, including unemployment and the Maha Kumbh festival, despite raising his hand to speak. He also alleges that the Speaker made unsubstantiated remarks about him and adjourned the House without giving him an opportunity to respond. The Speaker, however, has urged members to conduct themselves in accordance with the rules of the House, especially the Leader of the Opposition.
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